Paneer Bhapa 🧀🌶️
A flavourful Bengali-style steamed paneer recipe made with mustard, poppy seeds and a hint of mustard oil. Simple, creamy and full of flavour!
📝 Ingredients
- 250 g paneer, cut into cubes
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp posto (poppy seeds)
- 3–4 green chillies
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp red chilli powder
- Salt as per taste
- 3 tbsp thick curd
- 1–2 tbsp mustard oil
- 2–3 green chillies, slit
👩🍳 Preparation
- Soak the yellow mustard seeds, black mustard seeds and posto in warm water for 10–15 minutes.
- Drain the water and grind everything with 3–4 green chillies into a smooth paste.
- In a bowl, add the prepared paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and thick curd. Mix everything well to make a creamy marinade.
- Add the paneer cubes and gently coat them with the marinade. Let them rest for a few minutes so the flavours can blend.
🍳 Cooking Method
- Transfer the marinated paneer into a steel tiffin box or any heatproof container.
- Drizzle mustard oil over the paneer and add the slit green chillies on top.
- Cover the container and place it in a steamer or a pan with water.
- Cover and steam on medium heat for 15–20 minutes, until the paneer is cooked and the mustard flavours are well absorbed.
- Let it rest for a few minutes before opening and serving.
🍽️ Serving Suggestion
Serve hot with steamed rice for a delicious Bengali-style meal.
Add nutrition estimates and serving sizeInclude a pan-steaming alternative